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Saudi Arabia Saudi Saudi Arabia Religious Freedom in the World Report 2021 SAUDI ARABIA SAUDI SAUDI ARABIA RELIGIONS 1.5% Other 5.9% Christians 2.0% Hindus 90.6% Muslims Population Area 34,709,640 2,206,714 Km2 GDP per capita GINI INDEX* 49,045 US$ N/A *Economic Inequality An unofficial census by the Apostolic Vicariate of North- LEGAL FRAMEWORK ON FREEDOM OF RELIGION ern Arabia estimates that Saudi Arabia’s Catholics num- AND ACTUAL APPLICATION ber 1.5 million,5 mainly foreign workers from India and the Philippines. Some reports indicate a growing number of Saudis identifying as atheists6 or Christians.7 But, as a Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who has been king of Sau- result of harsh social and legal consequences for leaving di Arabia since 2015, is both head of state and head of Islam, they keep quiet about their conversion.8 The government. Under the 1992 Basic Law of Governance,1 Kingdom does not have official diplomatic ties with the the King, who is an absolute ruler, must follow Shari‘a (Is- Holy See.9 lamic law). The Kingdom’s “constitution is Almighty God’s Book, The Holy Qur’an, and the Sunna (Traditions) of the Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam and home to its Prophet (PBUH).” two holiest cities – Makkah and Madinah – with the Sau- di king serving as the official Custodian of the Two Holy Under the late King Abdullah (2005-2015), the country ex- Mosques. While the law is based on the Hanbali school of perienced a gradual modernisation.2 With about 17 per- Islamic jurisprudence, the interpretations of Muhammad cent of the world’s known oil reserves,3 the country is one ibn Abd al-Wahhab, upon whose teachings Wahhabism is of the wealthiest in the region and a leading political and based, are also highly influential. The country follows a religious power in the Arab world. strict interpretation of Sunni Islam, including restrictions In recent years, demands for political reform have in- on women and harsh penalties for a range of crimes, in- creased along with calls for social change, such as the cluding capital punishment (beheading) for minors. A Roy- right of women to drive and some possibilities for freedom al Order is supposed to have been issued to prohibit the of expression. In 2016, the Saudi government adopted death penalty for underage offenders, but as of November ambitious plans for economic reform – Vision 2030 and 2020 it was not yet officially promulgated. Saudi citizens the National Transformation Program 2020 – to reduce must be Muslims. Non-Muslims must convert to Islam to 4 dependence on oil revenues. be eligible for naturalisation. Children born to Muslim fa- thers are deemed to be Muslim. It is prohibited to publicly | ACN - Aid to the Church in Need SAUDI ARABIA SAUDI 10 Religious Freedom in the World promote non-official Islamic teachings. the provisions of Islamic law,” non-Islamic public worship, public display of non-Islamic religious symbols, conver- Religious freedom is neither recognised nor protected. Report 2021 sion by a Muslim to another religion, and proselytising by Conversion from Islam to another religion is considered a non-Muslim are also criminalised.17 apostasy, which is legally punishable by death, as is blas- phemy against Islam. More recently, Saudi courts have Despite government policy against non-Muslim burial in SAUDI ARABIA SAUDI tended to be lenient, imposing lengthy prison sentences the Kingdom, at least one public, non-Islamic cemetery SAUDI ARABIA and lashings for blasphemy instead of the death penalty.11 exists.18 In November 2020 it was the target of an attack claimed by Islamic State group during a ceremony attend- Importing and distributing non-Islamic religious materi- ed by many diplomats (see below). Non-Muslim clerics are als and proselytising are illegal for both Saudi nationals not allowed in the country. RELIGIONS and foreigners.12 Non-Muslim places of worship and the 1.5% public expression of non-Muslim creeds are prohibited. Human rights standards are observed “in light of the provi- Other 5.9% Christians Failure to comply can mean discrimination, harassment sions of Shar‘ia”. Saudi Arabia is not a party to the Interna- 19 2.0% and detention. Non-citizens may be deported. Despite tional Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. This means Hindus government statements that non-Muslims who are not that human rights are not really protected. During the peri- converts from Islam can practise their religion privately, od under review, there were frequent reports of restrictions 90.6% the lack of clear rules has left non-Muslims at the mercy on free speech. No laws or regulations ban discrimination Muslims of local police. Some groups of Christian expatriates have in employment and occupation based on religion as well Population Area been able to discreetly worship on a regular basis without as other grounds (race, sex, gender identity).20 34,709,640 2,206,714 Km2 provoking action by the government’s religious police, the GDP per capita GINI INDEX* The semi-autonomous mutawa (religious police) monitors Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of public behaviour, reporting to the regular police to enforce 49,045 US$ N/A 13 *Economic Inequality Vice (CPVPV), also known as the mutawa. a strict Wahhabi interpretation of Islamic norms. Since Religious instruction based on the official interpretation 2016, its officers have to carry official identification pa- of Islam is mandatory in state schools. Private schools pers, and their powers have been significantly limited by cannot teach separate curricula, and are required to offer royal decree. Both Muslims and non-Muslims have report- both Saudi and non-Saudi Muslim pupils an Islamic stud- ed less harassment and fewer raids as a result. ies programme. Non-Muslim students in private schools The Ministry of Islamic Affairs has intensified its efforts receive mandatory classes on Islamic civilisation.14 Other against extremist Islamic preaching through video surveil- religions or civilisations can be taught at private interna- lance of mosques and close monitoring of Facebook and tional schools.15 Twitter.21 Defendants must be treated equally in accordance Since 2004, Saudi Arabia has been designated by the with Shari‘a. Of the four Sunni schools of jurisprudence, United States Commission on International Religious the Hanbali school is the basis for interpreting Islamic law. Freedom (USCIRF) as a “Country of Particular Concern” There is no comprehensive written penal code. Rulings (CPC). and sentences vary widely from case to case. In civil cas- es, Christian and Jewish men can receive 50 percent of the compensation a Muslim man would receive. And for INCIDENTS AND DEVELOPMENTS other non-Muslims, this gap may go up to one sixteenth the amount a Muslim man would receive. In some cases, Zuhair Hussein Bu Saleh was detained in July 2018 to the evidence presented by Muslims carries greater weight serve a two-month prison sentence and 60 lashes for than that of non-Muslims, and the evidence of Muslim practising congregational prayers at his house due to the 22 women is worth half that of Muslim men in certain cases.16 lack of Shi‘a mosques in the country’s Eastern Province. The 2017 counterterrorism law criminalises “anyone who In September 2018, the public prosecutor declared that challenges, either directly or indirectly, the religion or jus- online satire that “disrupts public order” will be punished 23 tice of the King or Crown Prince.” “The promotion of athe- with up to five years in prison. istic ideologies in any form,” “any attempt to cast doubt on In November 2018, a delegation American of Evangelical the fundamentals of Islam,” publications that “contradict Christians visited Saudi Arabia and met with Saudi Ara- Religious Freedom in the World Report 2021 | bia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.24 show. Later he had to apologise on Twitter.31 Although the government has received many Jewish and According to the US Department of State’s 2019 Report Christian religious leaders, most non-Muslim clergy are on International Religious Freedom, anti-Semitic materi- not allowed to enter the country on a regular basis in order al, including The Protocols of the Elders of Zion and Mein to conduct religious services. In December 2019, Coptic Kampf could be found at the annual Jeddah International SAUDI ARABIA SAUDI Orthodox Metropolitan Anba Markos paid a three-week Book Fair.32 Similar material could be found at the annual pastoral visit to Riyadh upon invitation by Crown Prince Riyadh International Book Fair held in March 2019.33 Mohammed Bin Salman. During this visit, the first official In April 2019, the Ministry of Interior (MOI) announced the Coptic Mass was held in Riyadh on 1st December 2018.25 execution of 37 people, of whom at least 33 were from the According to the US Department of State’s 2019 Report on Shi‘a community, for “terrorism crimes”. The sentence was international Religious Freedom, regulations were issued carried out without prior notice.34 According to various hu- in January 2019 criminalising “calling for atheist thought in man rights organisations, their trials violated international any form or calling into question the fundamentals of the fair trial standards and confessions were obtained under Islamic religion”.26 torture. Based on a MOI statement, the Saudi Press Agen- cy (SPA) specified that one of the convicts was crucified – In January 2019, security forces stormed Umm al-Ham- in Saudi Arabia, this means that the body of the executed am, a village in the predominantly Shi‘a governorate of person was strung up and exposed to dissuade others.35 Qatif, in eastern Saudi Arabia. Clashes, mortar attacks The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and other and shooting left five people dead and an unspecified human rights organisations condemned the executions, number of injured.27 especially since some of the executed were minors at the Islamic scholar and former dean at the Islamic University time of their sentencing.36 in Madinah, Sheikh Ahmed al-Amari, died on 20th Jan- In May 2019, Muslim World League’s (MWL) Secretary uary 2019 after suffering a brain haemorrhage while in General Mohammed Al-Issa signed a memorandum with detention.
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